A map for meaningful content

Isn’t “content creation” a weird phrase?

It makes me think of ring lights, TikToks, and the black box that's algorithms.

Not exactly soulful territory.

But when you're starting something new - a business, a coaching practice, a movement, a body of work – you're going to need to say something.

And not just once, but often.

That’s the opportunity of modern work. We don't just do the work.

We’re sharing it.
Shaping it.
Inviting others into it.

And that means writing. Or speaking. Or podcasting. Or posting.

Whatever it looks like, content is just expression.

And when it's intentional, it can become a powerful way to create clarity, connection, and change.

I’ve been thinking a lot about this, and I want to share a map that doesn’t start with, “What’s your niche?”, or “What’s your hook?” 

But instead with a simple, more grounded question:

What’s the energy behind what you’re creating?

Because energy is just information.

Before I get into it, here’s a quick detour through physics because I used to be a physicist (old habits die hard!)

Here's what I know: Energy is just information in motion.

Every particle, every field, is communicating - transferring force, vibration, potential.

And here's the fascinating bit: you can’t transmit energy without creating some kind of impact.

The same can be said of your content. Every post, podcast, or newsletter is a little packet of energy.

A signal you're sending out into the field.

And just like in physics, you don’t always get to control how it lands, but you do get to set the intention behind it.

So instead of asking, “What should I write?” I’ve started asking, “What energy am I sending?”

The four energies of meaningful content:

 1. Content to clarify – Thinking out loud

This is where most journeys begin.

You’re not writing for an audience. You’re writing to hear yourself think.

• It’s the energy of “I don’t know what I think until I say it out loud.”

• It’s journaling with a public toggle.

• It’s building a body of knowledge, one rough idea at a time.

• It’s growing “a mountain of thoughts from which to view the world from a new place.”

With each post, you’re seeing things differently. You’re learning in public.

And along the way, you start to form a mountain of knowing — something solid to stand on.

The key here? Don't polish. Don't sell. Just explore.

2. Content to connect – Sharing the signal

Once you’ve done a bit of clarifying, you might notice themes.

• Ideas you come back to

• Values you care about

• Truths you want to stand for

This is content that sends a signal out into the world — a kind of philosophical bat-signal. It’s less “here’s what I know” and more “here’s what I believe.”

And in this signal, others find resonance. “Ah,” they say, “you too?”

This kind of content isn’t about building an audience.

It’s about building a field.
A space of shared meaning.
A place where your people can find you.

3. Content to invite – Walking together

At some point, your content might shift into an invitation.

Not in the shouty “Sign up now!” way, but in the gentler “Come along” way.

You’ve been walking a path. Now you’re turning around and offering a hand to others just starting.

Maybe you’ve got a few tools.
A few stories.
A way of seeing that might help.

This is content that says, “We’re on the same road. Let’s walk a while together.”

This is especially powerful for those of us in midlife, because we’ve lived.

We’ve failed.
We’ve tried things and survived.

And that gives us something worth sharing. Not in a preachy way, but in a very human way. 

4. Content to create safety – Building trust

And finally, the content that says, “You’re safe here.”

This is the place where service becomes real.

Where people might hire you, join your program, or buy your product - not because you shouted the loudest, but because they felt something in your words.

They felt trust.

This kind of content shows your track record. Your lived experience. The results you’ve helped others get.

But more than that, it shows your character.
Your intentions.
Your transparency.

It's where marketing meets meaning.

Why this matters now (especially for midlife creators)

If you're reinventing your working identity – shifting from employee to entrepreneur, from corporate role to creative path, from burnt-out to lit-up – then this framework isn't just about content.

It's about presence.

It's about how you show up in the world.
How you make sense of your new self.
How you find the others.

And it's about remembering that you don’t need to master content strategy to begin.

You just need to know the energy you’re transmitting.

Clarify.
Connect.
Invite.
Create safety.

That’s the map.

A map is only helpful if you know where you're starting from.

🚀 Just starting out?

Focus on writing for yourself first and foremost and give yourself the space to "think out loud". That's how best-selling author and neuroscientist Anne-Laure Le Cunff started her hugely successful Ness Labs.

Watch her Friday Fireside and learn about the power of tiny experiments.

And you might find Several Short Sentences About Writing by Verlyn Klinkenborg a helpful kickstart, alongside Anne Lamott's classic, Bird By Bird.

🗓️ Know your audience?

Getting into a regular writing habit is key. Download our free guide to building a LinkedIn writing habit in 7 days to help you connect to your network.

Need support in your struggle? Steven Pressfield's books include The War of Art, Turning Pro, and Do The Work - all to help you overcome "the resistance which is inside you, but not you."

🔥 Already create regular content?

Use the map to ask yourself:

• What’s the energy here?

• Am I clarifying something for myself?

• Am I reaching out to connect with others?

• Am I inviting someone to walk with me?

• Am I building a safe space to work together?

Need to tune up your output? Check out Eddie Shleyner, the founder and author of VeryGoodCopy. Or check out the revised classic Everybody Writes by Ann Handley.

And remember...

You don’t have to do them all at once.
You don’t have to get it perfect.

But knowing the why behind your words will change how they land.

Because energy, like content, always leaves a trace. And yours - when it’s intentional - might just change someone’s day.

Or their direction.

Maybe even yours.

Need support to put your map into practice?

Join our community of purpose-driven entrepreneurs and founders who help others benefit from their insights and learnings.

Discover our Vision 20/20 small group coaching program, our Alptitude leader’s retreat, or our business retreat for hippies at Summercamp.